N. Korea bristles at S. Korea-U.S.-Japan air drills
"We express serious concern over their hostile acts of persistently conducting provocative and threatening military actions while deliberately ignoring the security concern of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and strongly warn of the grave consequences to be entailed by them on the regional situation," the head of the North Korean defense ministry's policy office said in a statement released through the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The statement referred to North Korea by its official name.
On Friday, Seoul's defense ministry said the three nations had held the air drills over international waters off the southern South Korean island of Jeju and involved at least one U.S. B-52H bomber -- the strategic bomber's first deployment near the Korean Peninsula this year.
The North Korean official also charged that the tripartite military alliance has "completely changed into a nuclear-based triangular military alliance."
"Irresponsible acts of the US, Japan and the ROK (South Korea) steadily heightening the level of tension and danger on the Korean peninsula should be closely watched and deterred," the North's statement added. "It is our just sovereign right to take countermeasures against provocative military actions such as the moves to strengthen the multilateral military alliance threatening the security of the region and the joint military drills with clear aggressive character." (Yonhap)
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